Former Justice and Development Party (AKP) minister Sadullah Ergin has resigned from the party, joining a group of other politicians who recently parted ways with the ruling AKP, Turkish media reports said on Wednesday.
Ergin, who was contacted by The Independent‘s Turkish service, confirmed the reports but avoided revealing when exactly he resigned from the AKP.
“Let’s skip this question,” he told the news outlet, adding that he did not want to talk about the issue further.
Ergin served as Turkey’s justice minister between 2011 and 2013 and was a member of parliament for three terms.
There are reports that Ergin will join a new party to be established by former Economy Minister Ali Babacan and former President Abdullah Gül.
A founding member of the AKP, Babacan recently announced his resignation from the party, which he said has moved away from its founding principles, and revealed his intention to establish a rival party.
Following the resignation of Ergin from the AKP, former ministers Nihat Ergün, Hüseyin Çelik and Beşir Atalay also resigned from the party, according to Turkish media reports.